On New Year's Day 2024, a high-profile match will be staged on the arena - the Chinese men's football team and the Hong Kong team will start a thrilling match. Although the Chinese men's football team ranked 79th in the pre-match World Football Association before the game, the majority of fans did not have overly optimistic expectations about the result of the game. After all, the Chinese men's football team and the Hong Kong team, which are only about 20 places apart, are very close in strength, and the suspense of the outcome of the game is still unpredictable.
In the opening stage of the game, the Chinese men's football team showed strong attacking power, and had a one-goal lead at the end of the half. However, the plot takes a dramatic turn in the second half. In the next 45 minutes, the Chinese men's football team was punished by two referees, including an assistant coach. In the face of such a bad situation, the Chinese men's football team had to choose to play with nine players, a total of 11 evenly matched games. At the moment when the final whistle blew, the Hong Kong team successfully overtook in the harsh decisive battle by virtue of the advantage of a large number of people, defeating the Chinese men's football team with a score of 2 to 1. This defeat caused the Chinese men's football team to lose valuable points, and at the same time, many fans had a deep sense of loss and doubt about the team's performance.
It is worth mentioning that there was another sudden turn event during the race. At one point on the field, two players of the Chinese men's football team caused a dispute due to an explosive collision, and even almost turned into a direct physical altercation. This sudden situation undoubtedly added additional pressure and distress to the already difficult Chinese team. In fact, the Chinese men's football team has endured many unprecedented challenges and pressures. In the warm-up match against the Omani team, the Chinese men's football team performed poorly, ending the game with zero wins and two losses, which once again exacerbated the disappointment and anxiety of all parties about the team's performance. Even though the Chinese men's football team still occupies a high ranking in Asia, the gap between the Chinese men's football team and some strong teams is widening, making the Chinese men's football team face more difficult challenges in future competitions.
As for the topic of whether Jankovic should leave office, I personally believe that we should think comprehensively from all angles. First of all, as the coach of the national football team, Jankovic's performance and results have always been in the public spotlight, and if he is unable to lead the team to excellent results or underperforms, then it is understandable to take the decision to leave. However, we also need to recognise that football is a team effort, winning and losing, and that only through failure can we truly grow. In addition, we also need to be aware of the many dilemmas and challenges facing Chinese football today, such as the aging age structure of players, the lack of investment in the training of the new generation, and the increasing strength of opponents.
If Jankovic decides to step down, who is expected to become the new coach of the national football team? The first requirement is that the candidate must have a strong coaching resume and excellent command talents, and be able to lead the team to excellent results. Secondly, the candidate must have a full understanding and deep recognition of Chinese football culture, so as to build a good communication channel and trust with the players and the public. Finally, a candidate for a successor will need to have outstanding leadership and charisma in order to lead the team out of trouble and back to its former glory.
At present, there are rumors that the Chinese Football Association is actively considering hiring foreign coaches or using local coaches to take over Jankovic. In this regard, I think both approaches have their own pros and cons. Foreign coaches may be able to bring new tactical strategies and business ideas, but at the same time, it may be difficult to integrate with Chinese football and culture. Local coaches may be more familiar with and understand the Chinese football environment, but they need to have a considerable level of strength and talent to lead the team out of the difficult situation.
Recently, due to the fermentation of the Li Tie incident, the Chinese football field has launched a large-scale and in-depth anti-corruption and anti-crime struggle, involving a wide range of so many people, including all levels of the football world, that more than 100 people have been censored, which has made many fans full of deep anxiety and disappointment in the cause of Chinese football. However, despite such a predicament, there are still people who always adhere to the sense of mission that football people should have, and devote themselves to the construction of Chinese football with admiration. Among them, Fan Zhiyi, who dares to speak out and express opposition, and Gao Hongbo, the former head coach of the national men's football team, are typical representatives of this spirit. They have demonstrated their endless love and determination for football with their practical actions, so they have won the respect and praise of the majority of fans.
In the current situation, Jankovic, as the head coach of the national men's football team, although it seems that his position is solid, it can even be said that it is almost impossible to be recalled. Although the national men's football team has suffered two consecutive defeats in friendly matches recently, this has not affected the team's long-term plans in the slightest. The significance of the friendly match is mainly to hone the team's combat effectiveness and make full preparations for the upcoming Asian Cup and World Cup Asian qualifiers.
It is worth mentioning that the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be greatly expanded, and the Asian region will be expanded from the original 4.5 to 8.5 promotion places, which will undoubtedly provide a golden opportunity for the Chinese men's football team. If you want to successfully break into the World Cup, the Chinese men's football team must firmly grasp this precious opportunity. Jankovic's performance in the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup has also attracted more attention. According to the latest reports, his team has achieved 1 win and 1 loss in the qualifiers, including a 2-1 win over Thailand in the first round, highlighting the team's strong fighting power and fighting will.
For the Chinese men's football team, the victory over the Thai team has undoubtedly won a favorable situation for the team. This also shows that the probability of the Chinese men's football team advancing in the top 18 in the Asian region is quite high. Of course, in order to achieve this goal, the Chinese men's football team will need to maintain a consistent and strong performance in future competitions. The topic of the head coach of the Chinese men's football team has aroused heated discussions from all walks of life, especially Jankovic's performance. The current situation shows that Jankovic's national team is still performing well, and it is unlikely that he will be ousted in the short term. This also means that other popular candidates such as Fan Zhiyi and Gao Hongbo do not have a good chance of becoming the head coach of the national team.
As a straight-up player, Fan Zhiyi has a great performance on the court, but he doesn't seem to be good at officialdom. In this regard, Fan Zhiyi himself is well aware of his limitations, and he gradually shifted the focus of his personal life to the entertainment industry, frequently participating in the recording of various variety shows. Recently, Fan Zhiyi has completed his career transformation journey, and he played the role of the factory director in the hit TV series "Prosperous", showing his profound acting skills. Compared with the monotonous and boring position of national football coach, Fan Zhiyi's choice to enter the road of acting is obviously more free and comfortable, and at the same time, he can also free up more time to spend with his family.
Indeed, even though Fan Zhiyi is a well-known player in the national team, his influence cannot be ignored, and his transformation has also injected new vitality and vitality into Chinese football to a certain extent. However, that doesn't mean he has what it takes to be the head coach of the national team. After all, it takes not only visibility and influence to be in charge of a national team, but more importantly the necessary expertise and a wealth of practical experience. Another candidate who is also in the spotlight is Gao Hongbo. However, based on the current situation, the likelihood of him being selected as head coach is relatively low. The main reason for this is that Gao Hongbo did not show outstanding talent and excellent results in his previous coaching experience. In addition, the national team is not only looking for a capable coach, but also a leader who has the ability to lead the team out of the doldrums and back to glory.